BE Aerospace sales for its first fiscal quarter ended May 29 jumped 32% to $185 million, while gross profit rose 28% to $66.6 million. Operating earnings increased 54% to $27.6 million. Net earnings grew to $11.4 million from a net loss of $23.9 million.
Officials in Taipei disputed charges by Philippine officials that China Airlines and EVA Airways have violated the terms of a bilateral air agreement by extending Taipei-bound flights to the U.S. A spokesman for Taiwan's aviation industry said that, in compliance with the pact, all U.S.-bound passengers on flights from Manila to Taiwan are deplaned in Taiwan, where they reboard different aircraft bearing different flight numbers for travel to the U.S.
Civil Aviation Administration of China has signed an agreement with ARINC to purchase a ground-to-air communications network system to enhance flight safety. According to CAAC Director General Liu Jianfeng, the purchase is part of China's preparation to build a system that would cover all major domestic air routes and improve the country's ground-to-air data exchange ability. when fully installed, the system, which would be the third-largest in the country, also would ensure flight safety, Liu said. The system would be commissioned in June 2000.
Aviation safety won't be compromised by the Year 2000 bug, IATA spokesman Kevin Dobby assured attendees at an American Society of Travel Agents conference last week. Ninety-nine percent of FAA's 628 systems are Y2K-compliant, including 423 mission-critical systems. International commitment to solving the issue is peaking, although there may be some minor disruptions, he said.
Moline/Quad City airport authority asked DOT Friday to retain Chicago O'Hare slots and prohibit American Eagle from transferring them away from the community. The authority wants 180 days to find an alternate carrier, including incumbents at Moline. If it cannot do so, the authority wants DOT to "return these slots to a pool intended to allow small and medium-size airports access to O'Hare.
LanPeru received approval to begin operating domestic flights July 2, providing support to a market that lost flag carrier AeroPeru to bankruptcy earlier this year. LanPeru was started by LanChile, which owns 49% of the Peruvian airline. Peruval, a division of development chain Peru Real Estate, owns the remaining 51%. LanPeru's launch will provide competition for AeroContinente and TANS, the two surviving national carriers, and the carrier is expected to aid Peru's struggling tourism industry.
Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today will decide whether to approve plans by American and Continental to expand terminals at Newark and New York Kennedy airports. The board, which said it expects to approve the roughly $2 billion projects, has stalled on making a decision that was due in January because of a disagreement between New York Gov. George Pataki and New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman over how the authority should operate.
If Delta repurchases at a premium the 4.6% stake that Swissair is selling, the move effectively would be a share buyback, Merrill Lynch analyst Candace Browning-Platt notes. Swissair's stake is worth $370 million. In addition, Delta is likely to sell its 4.6% stake in Swissair, worth $120 million, she adds.
Abacus International, Asia's global distribution system based in Singapore, has signed Cebu Pacific Air on the basic level of participation, Full Availability. Airlines participating on Full Availability have access to the schedules and availability of flights displayed to all subscribers. Cebu Pacific Air is the second largest domestic carrier in the Philippines and does not participate in any other distribution system. It plans to operate international routes later this year. "On our own, we already enjoy a well-spread distribution network.
Regional airlines recorded gains in traffic, capacity, load factors and passenger enplanements in the first three months of the year, according to the Regional Airline Association. "This impressive growth reflects the essential role of regional airlines in our national transportation system and their important contribution to the nation's economy," noted RAA President Walt Coleman. Washington, D.C.-based AvStat Associates compiled statistics for RAA.
United Cargo is taking steps to automate the freight business, and within 10 years division VP Jim Hartigan believes airlines will transfer cargo directly between airplanes and lessen reliance on airport storage. "Our business is ripe for automation" because there is too much cost built into many areas. United Cargo launched its Internet booking capability April 19 and already makes 6% of bookings on-line. The division took more than 6,000 electronic reservations in May and tracked more than 35,000 shipments via the Internet.
Japan Air Charter, the low-cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines (JAL), was renamed "JALways" on Friday as JAL moves ahead to transform the airline into a scheduled carrier. JALways gradually will take over existing JAL routes to Pacific resort destinations. The first flight for JAL will be in October on the Tokyo-Kona-Honolulu route. Starting April 2000, JALways will take over several of JAL's short-haul international flights due to the subsidiary's lower operating costs.
-- In Federal Register dated June 21...Issued proposed rules concerning repair stations -- In FR dated June 22...Proposed to supersede an airworthiness directive on Boeing 747-400 aircraft concerning the thrust reverser control land indication system...Proposed an AD on Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft to require inspecting the spring assemblies in the rudder control feel unit.
National Mediation Board has agreed to an expedited representation election for US Airways passenger service employees who in September 1997 voted for representation by the Communications Workers of America. Last month, after more than a year of contract negotiations, management walked away from the bargaining table, CWA said, adding that an appeals court ruling challenged two of the five ground rules set by NMB for the September 1997 election.
DOT renewed for one-year Mexicana's scheduled combination service between Mexico City and Orlando; Cancun and Fort Lauderdale and Puebla and Dallas/Fort Worth; co-terminal points Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey and Hermosillo and terminal point El Paso; Merida and co-terminal points Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco and San Antonio and San Luis Potosi and Chicago; Aeromexpress' all-cargo charters between Mexico and the U.S., and other charters, and scheduled charters between Mexico City and Atlanta and between La Paz and coterminal points Los Angeles and New York,
The first of three phases of the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) router software, essential for the new Free Flight environment, was completed on schedule, according to Aeronautical Communication International (ACI). ACI is a joint venture of Airsys, ATM, AlliedSignal, Honeywell, Sextant and Sofreavia. The router software will determine the routing of digital data messages between aircraft and air traffic control and airline personnel on the ground.
DOT renewed through March 31, 2000, American's allocation of seven frequencies for scheduled combination service between Miami and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The carrier requested indefinite-duration renewal. DOT noted that the current exchange of letters between the U.S. and the U.K. governing the frequencies expires March 31. The department separately renewed US Airways' two-year exemption for scheduled combination service between Philadelphia and Grand Cayman. (Dockets OST-96-1141, 97-2721)
Approved a two-year exemption renewal for Atlas Air to provide scheduled cargo service between New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Anchorage and Honolulu and Hong Kong, via intermediate points in Taiwan and Korea without local traffic rights between Taiwan and Korea and Hong Kong...Approved a one-year exemption renewal for Cathay Pacific to engage in scheduled foreign combination service between Hong Kong and New York, via Vancouver, and cargo service between Hong Kong and co-terminal points Anchorage, Chicago and New York, via Toronto...Approved a one-year exemption renewal f
Used Jet Aircraft Deliveries March 1999 Carrier # Type Engines Previous Operator AAR 1 747SR CF6-45A2 Qatar Airways Aer Lingus Commuter 1 BAe 146-300 ALF502R-5 Jersey European Aeroturbine 1 727-200 JT8D-9 TWA Air Alfa 1 A321-100 V2530-A5 Onur Air
TransBrasil Airlines and its regional subsidiary InterBrasil-Star introduced a frequent flyer program - Transpass - offering members free ticket rewards after they accumulate 18,000 miles. Members also earn a 500-mile minimum for each flight regardless of distance traveled.
